Wednesday 20 March 2024

New at SU! - Nature's Sweetness Mini Album

Hello and welcome to my blog. Today, I am participating in the New at SU! blog hop. We are a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who are full of creative papercrafting ideas to share with you to get you crafting. This time we are showcasing projects using the January - April Mini Catalogue or items available from the Online Exclusives to make a project that isn't a card!

I've chosen to use the Nature's Sweetness Designer Series Paper to create a Mini Album. I was inspired by a demonstration that I saw at the weekend whilst I attended Stampin' Up!'s OnStage event for demonstrators in Rotterdam.

The carcass of my album is finished and, striking while the iron is hot, I have even started to add some photos and journalling. I chose a selection of photos to print on my little Zoe Mini Print, which creates self adhesive, 2" x 3" photos that are really convenient for mini albums.

The project I saw at OnStage was constructed from several 6" x 6" sheets of DSP folded in half, adhered together and covered with coordinating card. It was designed to be slipped into a bag or a pocket and was quite slim. I adapted this idea a little and scored the 6" x 6" pieces of DSP at 2" (instead of 3") which resulted in a wider journal. Altogether, I used 10 sheets of 6" x 6" DSP to create the inside pages.

I adhered the pages together using Tear & Tape - simply match up the pages so that they alternate between 2" leaves and wider 4" ones. On some of the pages I only applied the tape to three sides so that an opening was created, allowing for tags to be slipped in the top or extra pages popped into the side openings.

I used the Perennial Postage dies to cut some large labels from Basic White and Pecan Pie card. Some of them I used as traditional matting layers and with others I created extra faux pages by sandwiching the 2" wide piece of DSP between two die-cut labels.

I love the extra pages and pockets that are created.

The album cover is made from Pecan Pie card, decorated with more DSP and the letters for the title are cut using the Alphabet a la Mode dies. (I remembered to apply adhesive sheet to the card before I did the die cutting, so adhering the letters was easy!) The inside pages are a work in progress, as I have plenty of spaces left to add extra prints and journalling, but that's ok as I can add more photos as I print them.

I hope that you have been inspired by my Mini Book project and that you'll capture some of your treasured memories in your own version. Continuing along the hop to the others will provide you with even more project ideas that are not a card - you are currently with me, Furry Cat Designs by Karen Henderson - but before you hop on to the next post, please take a moment to leave a comment. We love reading your comments!

New at SU! Blog Hop - Online Exclusives or Mini Catalogue Projects - but not a card!

Do you need any of the products used on today's cards? If you live in the UK please take a look in my online Stampin' Up! shop. You can follow the link or click on the pictures below of the products I have used today.

Stay safe and as always, happy crafting,

If you would like to order any supplies, and you live in the UK, I would love to be your demonstrator. Use the current hostess code (March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM) to get some free product (it will follow in the post after the end of the month). If your order is over £150 do not use the code as you become the hostess and get the rewards. To place an order please visit my online shop HERE.

If you would like to join my team, you can choose your starter kit HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me at furrycatdesigns@gmail.com

Click on the images of the products I have used today to purchase them in my online shop:

Rembember to use the current hostess code.

March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM

Saturday 9 March 2024

Stamping Inkspirations Blog Hop - A Technique Challenge

Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I am taking part in a blog hop with some fellow enthusiasts who love sharing their creative talents using their Stampin' Up!® products. This month the Stamping Inkspirations blog hop is technique challenge.

The challenge for us this month is to create a card using the etching technique, which is a new one for me! The idea is to add dimension and detail to an open image using a fine liner pen. Whilst I have done this type of thing when I'm doodling for fun in a journal, I have not done it on a card.

My stamp sets are not really sympathetic to this technique so, I've cheated and used the Enduring Beauty set which already has lines of texture incorporated into it. I love how the little lines and dots create texture and depth.

Initially, I started by blending colour through the coordinating masks to create the petals and leaves using Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green inks. The masks enable you to build an image which looks colourful yet subtle, but I thought it needed a bit more detail. I tried adding lines, dots and flicks with a fine liner pen but decided that my mark making should stay in my journal!

Luckily, the stamp set has a wonderful alternative. Stamping the fine detailed image and blending colour over the top using the masks yields a beautifully coloured image. (I omitted masks 4 & 5 to leave off the second, detailed layer of colour for the leaves and the centres of the flowers.)

To get back on track with the challenge experimented with a couple of watercolour pencils to add some additional colour to the petals and the leaves. I just followed the contours from the stamped image to add a little extra colour.

The floral image is mounted on top of an embossed layer of card - the obvious choice was the cross-hatched pattern in the Basics set - together with a few die cut leaves and flower buds. I wanted a simple sentiment for this card so, I fussy cut the skinny happy birthday from the new Sweetly Scripted set. To finish I added a trio of Purple Fine Shimmer gems.

I'm not sure if I prefer the simple version or the one with the extra lines best. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities for colouring this set; Blends, watercolour pencils, adding Wink of Stella...then you can change the colour scheme and it would look totally different again. I hope that you are inspired by my cards today and that you will continue along the hop to see what the others have created too. Enjoy the projects. We would love to hear from you and so if you have been inspired, please leave a comment.